The kid who could

Last year, Mehedi emerged as the latest Bangladeshi talent to take world cricket by storm. Nineteen wickets in his debut Test series against England in October 2016 sounded one of the loudest signals by a newcomer from these shores. It wasn't just the wickets but the simplicity of his bowling action, delivery stride, and the ball spinning out of his fingers that captured the imagination.

He began with a beauty that knocked out fellow debutant Ben Duckett, and then was a constant threat to England in the two Tests. That his performances culminated in leading Bangladesh to their maiden Test win over England was just reward.

The year started with Mehedi leading Bangladesh in the 2016 Under-19 World Cup at home, where he superbly handled the pressure that comes with captaining a side representing a cricket-mad nation, impressing everyone with his performance on and off the field. He was adjudged the Player of the Tournament for his all-round proficiency, which helped lead Bangladesh to the semi-final of the tournament for the first time.

Over the course of his short career so far, Mehedi has come across as a studious cricketer, eager to get any information necessary to become a better player.

Key moment

Alastair Cook was steadfast on 59 while the rest of England collapsed on the third evening in Dhaka. Mehedi had already removed Duckett, and then accounted for Gary Ballance and Moeen Ali.

With the score on 127 for 4, Cook, battling the turning conditions, played forward softly. The zip on the Mehedi delivery didn't allow it to drop down; instead it popped to silly point's lap. Bangladesh had removed their last stumbling block, and Mehedi had ten for the match, with two more to come.

1 Number of players to lead Bangladesh in two U-19 World Cups; Mehedi is the first.

1 Where Mehedi's 12 for 159 in the Dhaka Test ranks among the best bowling figures by Bangladesh players.

19 The number of wickets he took in the two Tests against England is the most by a Bangladesh bowler in a Test series.

What they said

"We knew he was going to shine but not like this." - Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim after Bangladesh's win over England

"I told him the first thing you do is celebrate the success with the team-mates. He is a good kid, so he understood the message I was giving him." - Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha on the day after Bangladesh's win over England

The closest contenders

Karun Nair
Nair became the second Indian to score a Test triple-hundred, and he did it in just his third Test innings.

Jasprit Bumrah
Bumrah first caught the eye with his unorthodox action in the IPL. In 2016, he became a mainstay of India's limited-overs bowling.

About The Awards

The ESPNcricinfo Awards recognise the best individual batting and bowling performances in cricket over the calendar year. They are voted on by an independent jury of former cricketers, commentators, and ESPNcricinfo's senior writers. Previous winners have included Dale Steyn, Lasith Malinga, Mitchell Johnson, Shahid Afridi and Kumar Sangakkara.

Statsguru Awards

Which batsman was the most consistent over the year? Who was the best bowler in the third and fourth innings? ESPNcricinfo's ball-by-ball data analysis of every international game has answers to these queries and more. The Statsguru Awards go beyond runs scored, wickets taken, or averages, and are the result of detailed data analyses of performances.